Modern large buildings generally consist of a basic load bearing structure supporting the exterior facade. This should be lightweight, durable, of pleasing appearance and compatible with overall environmental objectives for the interior of the building. Many existing buildings in North America are in urgent need of refurbishment because their facades do not meet current environmental objectives, and in some cases are creating a hazard to the public due to the tendency of parts of the facade to become detached from the basic building structure, crashing into the street below.
Some buildings are finished with glass panels. Such panels have a pleasing appearance, but provide relatively little insulation, and the fitting of the underlying insulation can be time-consuming. Furthermore, fiberglass insulation, which is currently used, can be a health hazard. Glass panels cannot be economically retrofitted onto existing buildings since the entire facade has to be stripped away.
Some buildings are finished in polished stone, such as granite or marble. This also has a pleasing appearance, but is a relatively limited thermal insulation value. Mounting the stone panels can be difficult, and in some cases there has been a tendency for the joints to fail over time, causing the need for refurbishment of the building. The panels are generally large, and in order to have sufficient strength to avoid breakage must be heavy and are therefore difficult to handle. The consequences of such a panel becoming detached from a building due to joint failure can be fatal.
An object of the present invention is to provide a composite cladding panel intended to alleviate the aforementioned problems associated with the prior art.